


Conversations

by sheron



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Bank Robbery, Canon Compliant, Friendship, Gen, POV Jack Thompson, Post-Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-13 00:25:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13558761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheron/pseuds/sheron
Summary: Jack's got a million problems, and Peggy in a hostage crisis at a bank is just one of them.





	Conversations

**Author's Note:**

  * For [doctorhelena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctorhelena/gifts).



> This takes place in the hiatus between Season 1 and 2, where Jack is Chief of the New York SSR and Peggy reports to him. I hope you enjoy the story!

 

"You still alive in there?" he said into the radio.

"Jack, make sure your boys don't make a difficult situation worse," Peggy voice came quietly but firmly across the line. Then came a cough, and in a much louder, brighter voice Peggy said, "Mister! Mister!" 

She wasn't talking to Jack. She was talking to one of the armed men inside.

Jack glared across the New York street at the iron-wrought doors of the bank, and not for the first time in his life wished he could see through walls. The police sirens wails outside were getting on his nerves, but at least the policemen were keeping civilians away from the scene. No distractions. Technically, this wasn't a matter for the SSR, just a simple bank robbery with a hostage situation going on. Any other day Jack would have let the police handle it while his Bureau focused on espionage and post-war related matters, but this wasn't a regular day. Because apparently, Carter couldn't make a simple trip to the bank without getting involved in a hostage crisis.

Thank god she'd been talking to a clerk in one of the private rooms and had the know how to hide when the hostage-takers swept the floor. Thank god she'd been able to grab a radio from one of the security guards. With his pull as a Federal Agent, Jack had commandeered his walkie-talkie from the police and a prime viewing spot in the cafe across the street, where he had an unhindered line of sight of the building through the clear, wide windows. 

Across the weak connection, Jack heard Peggy speak in an unusually high voice, pitched to appear more feminine. "I was just looking for the bathroom, do you know―" there was a sound of scuffle and the voices faded out.

"Carter," he growled into the receiver through clenched teeth. He didn't know if she'd gotten hurt or if she had taken out whoever had discovered her location inside the bank. From eye-witness accounts there were five men total, all wearing ski-masks and carrying rifles. The police negotiator was trying to talk them down even now via a megaphone, but Jack had high hopes on Carter being able to work her magic from the inside. Say what you will about the gal, but she was resourceful like that.

"Jack," her breathless voice across the radio nearly made him jump in surprise. "Let the men outside know we'll be opening the doors. Do not open fire."

"You okay in there?"

"I took care of our little problem," she said, the slight edge of a satisfied smile making its way into her voice. "Haven't I, boys?" she said to someone off to the side. There was a weakly pained grunt.

"You disabled five men armed with guns on your own," Jack said, not even surprised. It wasn't a question.

"You have no faith in me at all, do you Agent Thompson," came archly.

"That's Chief to you," he replied softly into the radio. He wasn't supposed to treat her differently than any of his other men, the other agents, but damn, if his knees weren't a bit weak with relief that she was unharmed. He tried telling himself it was because she was a girl, but a voice inside him said quietly 'friend' and on the heels of the relief he felt he couldn't argue with that assessment.

Jack went outside to talk to the lead police detective on the scene, and waited by one of the police cars. They held fire when Carter slowly opened the bank's door from the inside, peeking out for a moment to get the lay of the land, then stepping out with her hands raised in the air.

"We are coming out!" she shouted.

The police held the line steadily, and soon enough the remaining customers of the bank and the tellers were pouring outside through the open door, streaming past Peggy. Some of the women were weeping.

Peggy strode confidently across the street, deftly stepping past the policeman that tried to pull her aside, meeting up with Jack who stuck his hands in his coat pockets and watched her approach with an impassive face. She didn't have a scratch on her, not as far as he could tell from his once-over. Even her grey wool fall jacket wasn't marred from whatever exertion she'd made at the bank while taking care of the problem.

"Only _you_ , Carter," Jack said, with what he felt was justified ire.

"I was simply depositing a check," Peggy protested. 

"Your timing is terrible. And you could have waited for the police to de-escalate the situation."

"I de-escalated it just fine." Peggy shrugged a shoulder. When Jack only frowned harder at the dismissive words, she added, "I think I'd like to give a statement to the police now," she glanced back their way. The first of the bank robbers was being led out of the front door of the bank in cuffs, swaying lightly and squinting at the glare of the sun outside. A vivid bruise colored the man temple. He had at least a hundred pounds on Carter, but there was no doubt as to who had come out of their encounter victorious. One of the policemen carried the a number of riffles out of the bank, passing next to Peggy and Jack on the way to one of the police cars.

Peggy's lips twitched into another smile, satisfied with a job well done. Jack found he wasn't quite ready to let her out of his sight yet. "Don't you think it would be a real shame if you got shot in the stomach, or the heart or― or in your face!" 

Peggy's eyes widened a little at the outburst, and for a moment she regarded Jack silently. Her brown eyes seemed to look directly through him, and he fought not to look away from her gaze.

"Aww, Jack," Peggy said then, with a little quirk of lips. "Don't tell me you'd miss me."

"That's Chief to you," Jack groused.

"Sir, yes, sir," she said glibly, but there was a softness in her tone now, a kindness. Jack couldn't stand it.

"I need someone to file all the paperwork," he muttered sullenly. "And you're really so much better at that kind of thing."

 

**Fin.**

 


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